NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill announces that Daniel Pantaleo, who put Eric Garner in a deadly chokehold, will no longer serve as a police officer.
O’Neill says in the same situation, he may have made the same mistakes as Pantaleo. But “None of us can take back our decisions, most especially when they elad to the death of another human being.”
O’Neill adds, “This is my decision,” and noting there was no pressure from City Hall. Mayor de Blasio, O’Neill said, was clued in about the process and possible outcomes.
Pantaleo will get back whatever he put into the pension system.
O’Neill: “Officer Pantaleo had 289 arrests. As far as we can tell searching through the records, no one else he arrested was injured.”
“If I was a cop, I’d probably be mad at me.” NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill fires Officer Daniel Pantaleo in Eric Garner case.
O’Neill calls it an “extremely difficult decision.” He says Garner’s death is a tragedy, and Pantaleo losing his career is another kind of tragedy.
For over 5 years, the Garner family & communities across the country have waited for justice in the death of Eric Garner.
With the termination of Officer Pantaleo, today some semblance of justice is finally being served.
In memory of Eric Garner and the countless others who have unjustly lost their lives, we will continue to fight for reforms to fix our broken criminal justice system and ensure that all of our communities feel safe.
